For the longest time I could only eat toast or broth without getting sick. Since the flare seems to have ended, I have been able to eat pretty much anything as long as I don't eat too many whole grains, fruits, or veggies. I have also had to go off all meds due to financial problems so I thought it would only be a matter of time before i got sick again. I was just enjoying being able to eat. It has been great except I have gained 15 pounds since Christmas. Each time I try to lose weight I just get sick again. I don't know how to lose weight without increasing fruits and veggies. When I did this, there was so much blood it scarred me so I went back to the white refined carbos which seem to be the safest to eat. Let me know if you find a better way. I would be very interested.

Oh Kittee,
I so understand where you're coming from. I take it that you're still on Pred? I blogged about it almost daily how angry I was getting because I felt so fat. Once I came off the pred I dropped almost 35 pounds within a couple weeks so don't get down on yourself.

I keep whinging at my gastro team and GP about being heavy and both keep telling me it will come off me when I am sorted out and in the meantime not to worry about it!

Easier said than done. I keep ending up on steroids for both my chest and my crohns and the only thing that has lessened it has been the remicade. Am keeping my fingers crossed that I dont end up on them now if they do decide I have rheumatoid arthritis as the reg gave me an injection of steroids at my first consult! grrrrr

Hang in there things will sort themselves out. Just give yourself time. ((hugs))

my weight has always been a mental negative for me.. even though i have never been 'overweight' as an outsider would term it, at the moment i am around a stone heavier than my 'happy weight'. this is due to many things, pred, Crohns causing me to be less active & resting more etc..

i've had a tendency to a poor body image since i had my major surgeries back in '86 - i came out of hospital at under 6 stone - was flying high because i felt so well and had overcome horrendous complications in hospital. so i guess i equated feeling wonderful with being skinny. but as it would go, once i began eating properly, my weight increased to normal. logically, i knew this was ok, that walking around looking like a skeleton was not a good thing, but part of me missed that skinny me, and still does.

right now, with this extra bit of weight, i feel i could so easily focus on it and bring myself down, but i am not allowing that to happen. my health comes first, weight second, and i know all the rules such as people will still love me no matter whether i have the extra pounds or not, and that i am still the same person inside etc etc.. but it's not easy - so i know what you mean, Kittee. i don't think it makes any difference to a person's feelings if they're a stone overweight, or very overweight - it still affects how we feel about ourselves. the trick is to not let those thoughts take over, keep them in check, & just promise yourself that one day, when you get other things sorted, you will tackle that issue..

perfect weight and perfect body are both social image demands that are put on us, from every angle. just be you!!

*Hugs* thank you all for sharing with me. I am sorry to be such a winer but I've always been heavy and Crohns was the only thing that actually made me lose some weight. Isn't that sad?

I went from 220 down to 180 and now I'm back up to 205. I could vomit. I wish it was just facial swelling but it isn't.

I hope Drew is right and some of these drops off when I stop taking pred.

Dingbat- I know how you feel. When I was 16 I went in the hospital and came out 50 lbs lighter. I felt great and I looked great. Being thin was wonderful. But of course I gained it all right back. Seems being deathly ill is the only "diet" that works for me.

Anyways today I am going to start counting calories again. I DID go crazy with eating because lets face it...pred makes you hungry as a dang hippo.

My form of Crohns actually has made me gain weight. I have been 95-98 lbs since I was in jr. high and now I am 125-130. At least you have an excuse Kit!!!!!! I could and should be doing more for myself physically. I am going back to doing yoga to make myself more limber and to help with pain management.

They only thing I can recommend is low fat, low carbs, higher protein (plus higher protein leaves you less hungry) - I give this advice with a grain of salt because I cannot stick to it... I am in love with food too much.

It's true! We need those security pounds! When I finally started to get over a flare that put me at 96 pounds, I tried to gain weight as fast as I could just in case it happened again. Unfortunately, I gained back more than I was trying too, and it did NOT come back in the same places - grrrr. But now I'm just happy that I feel better. I'm not gonna worry about those 10 - 15 extra pounds.

I hated getting sick my sophomore year of high school and having everyone tell me how great I looked. That was the only outside evidence that I was sick, and I wanted to scream at everyone that I was not a "healthy skinny." I hated gaining weight back, but at least I know that I'm healthy now! It's always depressing to put on weight due to pred or just being in remission because of all the social hype about being thin.

Just be glad that you're finally on the mend and you are beautiful no matter what!

Yeah... I had a guy friend tell me that "wow Katie, you look great! I don't think I've ever seen you this skinny before"... I got very angry and said "yeah, this is what it looks like when your body doesn't absorb the nutrients you put in it... so chic"

I'm quite a bit different, being someone who when healthy has dietary guidelines on how I slowly put on weight (muscle), at appx 1 lb./week....when I get sick and cannot workout I drop weight big time because my body is used to major calories (like 4000 give or take 1000, when bulking) and regular upkeep of muscle (body sees no reason to keep the muscle if you don't use it, and it goes FAST, because it's expensive to keep around)...Pred made me pissed off and I couldn't work out, so I ate accordingly, didn't gain much really (I actually lost some weight because I lost muscle while not allowed to work out), except a little water retention I suppose, but I had horrid moonface, so it looked like I gained like 40 to 50 lbs. and everyone thought I was "cured" or "healed" when really I was still flaring. I want to be 220 or so, appx 8-9% bodyfat once I'm able. I'd be there now if this damn demon that's possessed me and called itself Crohns didn't badger me.

Kitty I'd reiterate what others said, health is first, your fat deposits second, some fat loss/satiating tips I can give you off the top of my head, but I'll keep it to many of the common ones because they're not complicated and they work:

1. Try brushing your teeth frequently, a clean mouth has less desire to pig out, try it, it actually works well

2. drink lots of liquids, mainly water and any other low sugar/Crohns friendly drinks you can tolerate.

3. any protein like Isla said you can tolerate the more the better, do it, same with fiber and healthy fats (in moderation, they're calorically dense, so easy on 'em) if you can tolerate any that is

4. cut out the simple carbs if you can (even though they're Crohns friendly), they spike blood sugar and increase hunger when you "crash" again

5. small snacks here and there are great (your calorie counting is a good idea, I count calories and protein each day mentally when I'm in remission)

6. If you can tolerate either apples or nuts, eat 'em, the fiber and especially the specific sugar in apples actually blunts the appetite well

7. When you serve your portions, serve up smaller ones and then leave the serving "area", you'd be surprised at the studies that show subconsiously how much people were inclined to "finish their plates" with whatever was on it

8. take sips of water between bites, this will fill you up faster and slow you down, allowing your signals for satiation to register

9. try eating with your opposite hand (this works well unless your ambidextrous), it also slows you down, a right hander would eat with the left hand.

10. If you can when shopping, eliminate the purchase of anything you have a tendancy to endulge on, even if it's for a special occasion or someone else (if it's there, you'll eat it)...you'll get a craving at home and think "eh, all I have is this and that, I'm not in the mood for that, forget it", and also make the shopping trip when you're full

11. Try soups and liquids too, surpisingly low in calories per their weight, and will fill you up faster

12. If you're an emotional eater, try to tackle that and preoccupy yourself with something and relax so you don't trigger things

13. This one can be harsh, but it works...before you feel the need to go eat something either look in the mirror and recall your desires to lose weight, or pinch a part of your body that is a part you feel very poorly about (ie: your belly or your thigh), this often makes people recall their conviction about wanting to lean out and works well

14. since the fact of it boils down to calories in/out, remember to focus on the "out" part too, read: exercising...try to do anything active, park your car farther from the store, take the stairs, etc...now that you're on pred you may have the ability to do this stuff better

15. time of day matters, try to get any/all carbs in in the AM, and taper them off as the day goes, the closer to bedtime, the stricter you should get in general, and try to isolate your food as protein sources towards bedtime (shouldn't go to bed hungry though, use the protein)

16. Perhaps make a goal of getting into an old piece of clothing that you fit in recently that you liked (or even buy a new peice that you WOULD have fit in if you need more motivation)...use this as a goal, you want to fit in it and picture yourself looking good in it, shoot for this

17. Eliminate all "TV and mindless eating", if you are tuned out of your eating process, you'll be inclined to eat more than you should, AND eat it faster...try eating when eating is the only thing you're doing

18. Use treats as a motivator, many times you'll still lose fat effectively if you set a goal, like if you eat very strict for 3 days straight, you get a treat (food or even otherwise, like a purchase) on the 4th day, and repeat, repeat...

19. Take some measurements...some people respond better mentally to a numerical value to their fat loss/weight loss, this motivates them better if they can conceptualize their progress this way

I used to have a list of nearly a hundred of these on an old USB drive somewhere I used to give to people I'd advise (coworkers, family etc...) and help to go along...But remember, your Crohns has to come first, as well as your mental well being...don't let those be overiden. A lot of these may not work for you, and what helps is if you try to root out what causes your "snacking" etc...is it stress? is it something to chew on? (gum helps here), find out what that is and attack that too if you can...These are very common sense ones too, hopefully something will work. I'll come back here and post more if I can think of any. Good luck, PM me if you have anything I can help with.

__________________

-diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in Sept. 2006, currently 28 years old

"Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird."

"Men with Spartan lives, simple in their creature comforts, if only to allow for the complexity of their passions." -The X-Files, S4

Wow thanks alot for all the great tips and support folks! Since I've been feeling like crap the last few days I've decided to go liquid/soft for a few days to see if this helps. So I bet I drop a few pounds this way.

I also bought some slimfast. I normally drink boost but I thought I would try slimfast this time.

That shouldn't be harmful to me should it? I always get nervous because of the meds I am on. (Pred / Rem)

I am totally in-love with toothpicks atm, they are some really handy dandy things for home repair. Stick some wood glue on a couple and stick em into a too-wide hole and viola - you can drill a new pilot hole!

I'm quite a bit different, being someone who when healthy has dietary guidelines on how I slowly put on weight (muscle), at appx 1 lb./week....when I get sick and cannot workout I drop weight big time because my body is used to major calories (like 4000 give or take 1000, when bulking) and regular upkeep of muscle (body sees no reason to keep the muscle if you don't use it, and it goes FAST, because it's expensive to keep around)...Pred made me pissed off and I couldn't work out, so I ate accordingly, didn't gain much really (I actually lost some weight because I lost muscle while not allowed to work out), except a little water retention I suppose, but I had horrid moonface, so it looked like I gained like 40 to 50 lbs. and everyone thought I was "cured" or "healed" when really I was still flaring. I want to be 220 or so, appx 8-9% bodyfat once I'm able. I'd be there now if this damn demon that's possessed me and called itself Crohns didn't badger me.

Kitty I'd reiterate what others said, health is first, your fat deposits second, some fat loss/satiating tips I can give you off the top of my head, but I'll keep it to many of the common ones because they're not complicated and they work:

1. Try brushing your teeth frequently, a clean mouth has less desire to pig out, try it, it actually works well

2. drink lots of liquids, mainly water and any other low sugar/Crohns friendly drinks you can tolerate.

3. any protein like Isla said you can tolerate the more the better, do it, same with fiber and healthy fats (in moderation, they're calorically dense, so easy on 'em) if you can tolerate any that is

4. cut out the simple carbs if you can (even though they're Crohns friendly), they spike blood sugar and increase hunger when you "crash" again

5. small snacks here and there are great (your calorie counting is a good idea, I count calories and protein each day mentally when I'm in remission)

6. If you can tolerate either apples or nuts, eat 'em, the fiber and especially the specific sugar in apples actually blunts the appetite well

7. When you serve your portions, serve up smaller ones and then leave the serving "area", you'd be surprised at the studies that show subconsiously how much people were inclined to "finish their plates" with whatever was on it

8. take sips of water between bites, this will fill you up faster and slow you down, allowing your signals for satiation to register

9. try eating with your opposite hand (this works well unless your ambidextrous), it also slows you down, a right hander would eat with the left hand.

10. If you can when shopping, eliminate the purchase of anything you have a tendancy to endulge on, even if it's for a special occasion or someone else (if it's there, you'll eat it)...you'll get a craving at home and think "eh, all I have is this and that, I'm not in the mood for that, forget it", and also make the shopping trip when you're full

11. Try soups and liquids too, surpisingly low in calories per their weight, and will fill you up faster

12. If you're an emotional eater, try to tackle that and preoccupy yourself with something and relax so you don't trigger things

13. This one can be harsh, but it works...before you feel the need to go eat something either look in the mirror and recall your desires to lose weight, or pinch a part of your body that is a part you feel very poorly about (ie: your belly or your thigh), this often makes people recall their conviction about wanting to lean out and works well

14. since the fact of it boils down to calories in/out, remember to focus on the "out" part too, read: exercising...try to do anything active, park your car farther from the store, take the stairs, etc...now that you're on pred you may have the ability to do this stuff better

15. time of day matters, try to get any/all carbs in in the AM, and taper them off as the day goes, the closer to bedtime, the stricter you should get in general, and try to isolate your food as protein sources towards bedtime (shouldn't go to bed hungry though, use the protein)

16. Perhaps make a goal of getting into an old piece of clothing that you fit in recently that you liked (or even buy a new peice that you WOULD have fit in if you need more motivation)...use this as a goal, you want to fit in it and picture yourself looking good in it, shoot for this

17. Eliminate all "TV and mindless eating", if you are tuned out of your eating process, you'll be inclined to eat more than you should, AND eat it faster...try eating when eating is the only thing you're doing

18. Use treats as a motivator, many times you'll still lose fat effectively if you set a goal, like if you eat very strict for 3 days straight, you get a treat (food or even otherwise, like a purchase) on the 4th day, and repeat, repeat...

19. Take some measurements...some people respond better mentally to a numerical value to their fat loss/weight loss, this motivates them better if they can conceptualize their progress this way

I used to have a list of nearly a hundred of these on an old USB drive somewhere I used to give to people I'd advise (coworkers, family etc...) and help to go along...But remember, your Crohns has to come first, as well as your mental well being...don't let those be overiden. A lot of these may not work for you, and what helps is if you try to root out what causes your "snacking" etc...is it stress? is it something to chew on? (gum helps here), find out what that is and attack that too if you can...These are very common sense ones too, hopefully something will work. I'll come back here and post more if I can think of any. Good luck, PM me if you have anything I can help with.

That stupid purple USB drive that doesn't read anymore (my first one, only 128 MB) had a list of like 88 or something like that of these, about half I created/use and about half were from exercise scientists and pro-fitness/bodybuilding folk

Edit: 1 more I can state is to use a buddy, whether it's a coworker who can scold you when you eat the wrong things at work, or a workout partner who can generate both motivation when at the gym, and guilt when you skip out, bring your family/friends into it, that way you wouldn't just be letting yourself down, but them too, this works quite well

*Hugs* thank you all for sharing with me. I am sorry to be such a winer but I've always been heavy and Crohns was the only thing that actually made me lose some weight. Isn't that sad?

I went from 220 down to 180 and now I'm back up to 205. I could vomit. I wish it was just facial swelling but it isn't.

I hope Drew is right and some of these drops off when I stop taking pred.

Dingbat- I know how you feel. When I was 16 I went in the hospital and came out 50 lbs lighter. I felt great and I looked great. Being thin was wonderful. But of course I gained it all right back. Seems being deathly ill is the only "diet" that works for me.

Anyways today I am going to start counting calories again. I DID go crazy with eating because lets face it...pred makes you hungry as a dang hippo.

So I just gotta figure out a way to calm my appetite.

*HUGS* to all.

As everyone else has said focus on getting well and the weight will work itself out. I was like you. I was heavy then I got stupid skinny .. I lost some 75'ish pounds and then I gained nearly it all back because of pred. Once I got off that nasty crap I lost, as I said roughly 35 pounds and now if I gain a pound or 2 I'm not so worried because at least I'm not losing weight hand over fist. You have to look at the positives rather then the negatives. Being heavy sucks, I've had to deal with that demon for most of my life as well but you're working on getting better and that really is what matters most at the end of the day, once you feel better then you can work on a meal/work out regime that will help you get to your goal weight.

Interesting info in an article, also states that there's evidence that trans fats have been shown to actually add to fat gains even when the same calorie level is consumed...also touches on carbs/fats etc...